
FAQ's
Frequently asked questions

Please read the campaign brief from Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change.
*Not legal advice - intended solely for educational purposes!
What is the ICJ?
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The ICJ, or International Court of Justice, is the principal court of the United Nations. It exists to settle disputes between countries, as well as clarify matters of international law through advisory opinions. In order to accomplish this, we hope to have the UN General Assembly pass a resolution seeking an advisory opinion on the legal rights of future generations. Another possible option is having a UN agency request an ICJ opinion, which has historically been more rare. Although much of international law is technically non-binding, opinions of the ICJ hold great legal and moral weight, and our strategy is endorsed by numerous legal experts.
Why rights of future generations?
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In addition to the grave impacts of the climate crisis on natural habitats and biodiversity, it is important to our team to center frontline communities, who often are not fully represented in the existing legal system. Much of our legal framework was developed by law students from island nations in the Pacific, and our co-signers include Green Climate Campaign Africa and other advocacy organizations around the world.
What is your campaign's timeframe?
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We are currently lobbying UN country representatives to pass a version of our resolution with the support of CARICOM. Given the drastic climate impacts around the world in recent years, there is no time to waste!
What are the goal outcomes?
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